Medication apparatus



Jan. 1, 1963 s. NoRDsTRb'M ErAL 3,071,136

MEDICATION APPARATUS Filed April 27, 1960 FIGI.

FIG3.

i l /5 /7 flt\ 9 INVENTORS:

STEN NORDSTR'M FREDERIK PAULSEN a 5 Y W 4 W ATT YS.

itd

This invention relates to medication apparatus, and more particularly concerns containers for liquids of single use type intended for introduction into the rectum of enemas and like medication.

The primary purpose of the invention is to make available syringe apparatus which makes it possible for nursing personnel to administer enemas to patients with greatly reduced hazard of personal contamination and under improved hygienic conditions as compared with use of prior art apparatus.

To this end, the invention essentially consists in the provision of a closed container made of a soft and pliable material, for example, a flexible plastic such as high pressure polyethylene, and which has an integral stem or pipe extending therefrom, so that the container itself can be used to aspirate and eject liquids therethrough as a syringe for enemas, and which moreover has a protective sleeve of a limp and waterproof material surrounding the container and closed at one end by being fastened at or near the junction of the pipe and the container body.

These and other objectives of the present invention and the various details of construction thereof are hereinafter more fully set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a disposable medication apparatus made according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 showing a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing still another modified form of the medication apparatus of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of medication apparatus made in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus comprises a bottle 10 having collapsible flexible walls made from a resiliently pliable material such as, for example, soft flexible polyethylene or soft rubber, and which supports a slender hollow pipe or stem 12 of the same material secured integrally with its necked end 16. The outer end of the pipe 12 ordinarily is closed with a suitable closure 13, such as a soft rubber stopper or plug.

The apparatus is enclosed within a protective sleeve 14, which is made to be a suitable length, and has one end closed to join with the pipe 12 adjacent the junction of the bottle and the pipe. The protective sleeve 14 can be attached to the apparatus as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by means, for example, of an elastic ring seal 15, so that the sleeve is held firmly in place and so that any liquid escaping around the exterior of pipe 12 during a medication is prevented from penetrating to the outer suratent: O"

3,071,136 Patented Jan. I, 19%3 .IQQ

face of the bottle and to the hands or clothing of the administrator. To this end the sleeve 14 is made of a length greater than the distance from the point of attachment thereof to the bottle and the tip of the pipe 12 and of a length greater than the distance from the point of attachment and the bottom of the bottle 10.

The apparatus is intended to serve both as a disposable package for the enema solution, and also as the actual enema syringe, by first removing the closure 13, filling the bottle 10 with medication or water, introducing the pipe 12 into the rectum of the patient, and forcing the liquid content of the apparatus through the pipe, which is made suitably stiff to be insertable.

During use of the container as an enema syringe, the protective sleeve 14 closely encloses the hand holding the bottle 10, and protects the hand and arm from coming into direct contact with the patient or any discharges. The sleeve 14, after application of the enema, can then be inverted from the inside so that it encloses the soiled portion of the pipe 12, as shown, for example, in dotted lines in FIG. 1, and the Whole container then may be discarded or destroyed.

A modified form of the present inevntion is shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, wherein the protective sleeve 14 is secured to the bottle ltl adjacent the necked end 16 thereof by means, for example, of a heat seal bond of the sleeve 14 and the bottle 10 Where these are formed of compatible thermoplastic materials. As illustrated, the outer peripheral dimension of the sleeve 14' is greater than the cross section of the bottle 10 and is closed at its upper end by a top 18 as shown in FIG. 4. An opening 17 is provided in the top 18 of the sleeve 14' having a downwardly-extending edge 1% which may be secured to the bottle 10 adjacent its necked end 16 by means, for example, of a heat-sealed bond.

Still another modification of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6, wherein the protective sleeve 14" is secured to an outwardly-extending peripheral flange 20 adjacent the junction of the bottle it and the necked portion 16.

By the use of this invention, a greatly improved degree of hygiene is achieved in the administering of enemas, and all subsequent cleaning of utensils and apparatus is eliminated. Furthermore, the sleeve serves as a cushioning packing material when rolled or folded about the apparatus in storage and shipment.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be incorporated within the scope of the following claims:

We claim:

1. Disposable apparatus for liquids intended for introduction into the rectum comprising a pliable hollow continer with an outside diameter adapted to fit in the palm of the hand to be squeezed and having a reduced neck portion at one end, a hollow pipe secured to said neck portion to form therewith a syringe, and a protective flexible tubular sleeve surrounding said neck portion and fastened at one end to the apparatus adjacent said neck portion, said tubular sleeve being of a length greater than the distance between the neck and the opposite end of the container and normally extending lengthwise of the container and having a diameter greater than the container to be disposed in spaced relation thereto and to closely surround the hand squeezing the container, the length of said sleeve being greater than the length of the hollow pipe whereby when the sleeve is turned inside out about its point of attachment, it envelops the pipe.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said container and pipe are integrally formed of a flexible resilient plastic and said sleeve comprises a transparent film of polyethylene.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an elastic ring is provided to connect said sleeve to the said pipe adjacent the neck portion of said container.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a periph- 10 eral flange is provided extending outwardly from the container adjacent the neck portion, and wherein said sleeve is connected to said flange.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 901,100 I-Ieitman Oct. 13, 1908 2,123,343 Rightsell July 12, 1938 2,690,181 Boyer Sept. 28, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,018,586 Germany Oct. 31, 1957 

1. DISPOSABLE APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS INTENDED FOR INTRODUCTION INTO THE RECTUM COMPRISING A PLIABLE HOLLOW CONTAINER WITH AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER ADAPTED TO FIT IN THE PALM OF THE HAND TO BE SQUEEZED AND HAVING A REDUCED NECK PORTION AT ONE END, A HOLLOW PIPE SECURED TO SAID NECK PORTION TO FORM THEREWITH A SYRINGE, AND A PROTECTIVE FLEXIBLE TUBULAR SLEEVE SURROUNDING SAID NECK PORTION AND FASTENED AT ONE END TO THE APPARATUS ADJACENT SAID NECK PORTION, SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE BEING OF A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE NECK AND THE OPPOSITE END OF THE CONTAINER AND NORMALLY EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE CONTAINER AND HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE CONTAINER TO BE DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION THERETO AND TO CLOSELY SURROUND THE HAND SQUEEZING THE CONTAINER, THE LENGTH OF SAID SLEEVE BEING GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE HOLLOW PIPE WHEREBY WHEN THE SLEEVE IS TURNED INSIDE OUT ABOUT ITS POINT OF ATTACHMENT, IT ENVELOPS THE PIPE. 